Autumn Recipes + Wellness

The transition from summer to autumn is always the most challenging. It took me many years to acknowledge the effects of the changing seasons on my mental health and slightly more time to effectively manage.  

As theair is colder and the desire to indulge in comfort foods is overwhelmingly strong.  Autumn foods are warming and earthy in nature. Growing up in Zimbabwe, autumn was my favourite time of year because of the autumn harvest and foraging.  My grandmother cooked the best chanterelle mushrooms with nothing but salt and oil. When she had no vegetable oil, she would use the peanut oil from peanut butter made from the summer groundnut harvest - she allowed nature to guide her. As I type this I am speaking with my mother and brother and they are making a quintessential autumn dish Nhopi, it is my go-to traditional Zimbabwean comfort food.

Satay pumpkin leaves, biltong, rehydrated and fresh /brassicas were a regular feature on the menu. Now residing in England, I recreate these meals using local and homegrown produce.

In recent years I have known what to expect every autumn regarding my mood but this year autumn is quite different. Over the last few months, most of us have been in quarantine so the transition will be significantly different this year. I will be sharing with you some of my favourite autumnal dishes and wellness tips.